What Is Your Favorite Pen Clip Design?

[Tom Aquinas]

Fountain pens have a variety of clip designs for carraige of pens. Some are functional but brittle in design and can deform or break easily. Some are artistic, and most are a trademark for the pen. Of my pen favorites a sturdy clip design is mandatory , of the favorites the beady eyes of the pelican on my Pelikans clips are my pick.

[slippery when wet]

I look for 2 features in a pen currently, firstly, the type of filler it uses

and secondly the type of clip. For me the ball clip is my favorite and looks great on the Parker Duofolds and Onoto pens

[Runnin_Ute]

Parker's arrow has always been a favorite (but I don't yet have a Parker FP), the wire clip on Lamy's Al Star & Safari (and Vista) is certainly unique.

[MKIM97]

I like that both Parker's arrow and Waterman's slit are instantly recognizable trademarks. However, I think Waterman's clip is more flexible at lending itself to different pen designs, whereas Parker's arrow is borderline tacky (I think they've been respectable at keeping it subdued, though).

[orfew]

Love the clip on my Swift. It is shaped like a ladder. Very cool design.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh320/Orfew/2013-07-12053630_zpsb4d97db8.jpg

[risingsun]

My faves are the Parker blue diamond, split arrow clips of the late Vacumatics and early 51's...

 

Least favorite is the functional, yet hideous clip on the Lamy Safaris and Al-Stars... But it doesn't keep me from using them.

[brunico]

@risingsun

 

Ha! I hate the Parker arrow and think the Lamy is still a wonderfully refreshing design after all these years!

 

My favourite's probably the Aurora Optima/Talentum, among modern pens, though I'd like to get an old Omas or Ancora one day, partly for the roller-clip.

[requiescat]

...I like the Parker arrow, so help me. Possibly because one of my favorite pens is a Parker Vacumatic so I just developed happy associations without meaning to.

 

I like military clips in general, although they don't actually do me a whole lot of good; I use a pen case.

[Friar Whently]

@risingsun

 

Ha! I hate the Parker arrow and think the Lamy is still a wonderfully refreshing design after all these years!

 

My favourite's probably the Aurora Optima/Talentum, among modern pens, though I'd like to get an old Omas or Ancora one day, partly for the roller-clip.

Ditto. I can't stand the Parker arrow and it will forever prevent me from owning a Parker. The big wire clips on the Lamy Safaris and Al-Stars are fantastic...they clip onto a pocket so easily. There's no two-handed fumbling trying to get a small, tight clip to clip onto the pocket with my Safari.

[warblerick]

The clips on my 3 Aurora's ( a gold 88 demonstrator, the 85th anniversary Optima, and the Prima Vera Optima) are probably my favorites. They look like a drop of molten gold/silver, frozen. They are very sturdy and the strong click sound when you pull them from a pocket is audibly satisfying! Next would be the clip of the modern Conway Stewarts.

 

The Lamy Safari clip reminds me of a paper clip. Conklins, while functional, look like baseball bats. Stipula's, very artsy. TWSBI is functional. Pelikan, a bit mundane but certainly recognizable, and Visconti is useless as a clip, taking two hands to put it in your pocket, and not really holding all that well.

[CoolFool]

I tend to favor clips that have some mechanical improvement to make the operation of the clip a little more elegant. My two favorite clips are:

 

 

The rollerball style like this one from Newton Pens.

 

 

And the springed "Mooney" clip like this one found on old Conklins made after 1918. Modern Conklins have a similar clip, but personally, I have not had very good luck with modern clips while the clips on the 90-year old pens still work beautifully.

[mongrelnomad]

The micro-clip on my Hakase...

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8383902668_a182fedde3_c.jpg

[NedC]

The Pelikan bill is probably my favourite, it is just a a touch whimsical yet still efficient and functional, it seems to have just the right amount of curvature to slide easily over fabric of various weights and still clip securely. A also like the Lamy Safari clip and the clip on the Waterman Phileas and Kultur pens and the Parker arrow.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

For looks, as the O.P. said, the Pelikan clip is hard to beat.

 

Functionally, plenty of clips do their job of keeping a pen in my shirt pocket. Perhaps the most secure was an after market "good grip" clip that came on one of my vintage Conklin Crescents, one of the earlier models that didn't have a clip of its own. I carefully removed it, though, since when I take that pen out of the house, it's in a case, not my pocket.

[sargetalon]

My vote is for the beautiful styling of Pelikan's clips. Very distinguished and elegant and has endured through the years.

[Chopper88]

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz218/Valaccar/MBMasterpiece139b.jpg

 

And:

 

http://fpgeeks.com/wp-content/fpngallery/omas-vintage-360-turquoise/omas-vintage-360-turquoise-fountain-pen-16.jpg

 

 

And some more rather outrageous LE design clips, which wouldn't be particularly nice on their own, but are beautiful when incorporated with the pen they belong to.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Chopper88

[de_pen_dent]

+1 to the rollerball clip.

 

One of the Italian brands - I think - uses it: Aurora or Montegrappa, IIRC.

[warblerick]

http://fountainpen.de/pics/sini/old/Montblanc139/139-Kappe.jpg

 

And:

 

http://fpgeeks.com/wp-content/fpngallery/omas-vintage-360-turquoise/omas-vintage-360-turquoise-fountain-pen-16.jpg

 

 

And some more rather outrageous LE design clips, which wouldn't be particularly nice on their own, but are beautiful when incorporated with the pen they belong to.

Love that one too. And the pen...

[hari317]

The micro-clip on my Hakase...

 

 

Hi DPD, pls review the pen, how do you like it?

[Matth13]

My favourite clip design would have to be the Parker arrow. I also appreciate a clip that is spring-loaded.